


Good Roots, Evil Future

by CuriousBlossom



Category: The Little Mermaid (1989)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-24 19:30:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10748310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousBlossom/pseuds/CuriousBlossom
Summary: We all know the story of Ariel and how she became a human through Ursula's magic. But what we don't know is Ursula's past life - how she became evil and an outcast among her family. This is her story.Updates Tuesdays and Thursdays





	1. Fake Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theatrix_queen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theatrix_queen/gifts), [1CrazyAries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/1CrazyAries/gifts).



I swim into the palace gardens quickly, clutching the book to my chest. After all, I'm not supposed to be here, especially not with this book. This beautiful, magical book. Well, okay, maybe not magical, but pretty special in its own right. It's my mother's diary, and now it's mine. Okay, that makes me sound like a terrible, hopeless little girl, but I actually think I'm okay at writing and putting my thoughts down. I don't make it soppy, if that's what you're thinking. The only boy that I love is my brother, and I'm kinda forced to like him since he's family. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't love him otherwise. I heard that half the girls in the kingdom are swooning over him. They probably just want his money. Or his crown. Or the half dozen other stuff that comes with being royalty. 

Yep, I'm a princess. Not the attractive, blonde-hair-blue-eyes kind of thing that you're picturing. I have murky brownish blonde hair and pale skin and a sort of purple tail (if that's what you could call it) that I'm pretty sure only I love. My father was embarrassed when he first saw me. And who wouldn't be? I mean, if you have to marry your daughter off someday, you probably want them to be pretty so you'll have more options. But not me. I don't want to get married. I'm content with my simple life in the shadows. What? You get used to being the one backstage while someone you love shines in the spotlight. Like, all the time. But never mind. I guess I should explain who I am. 

My name is Ursula Karina Poseidon, 18 year old daughter of King Poseidon, ruler of the seven seas (and all water). I'm a princess. I have a friend named Athena, who liked me for who I was from the moment we met. She's also royalty, a duchess or something like that. I know that she likes my brother, but they are more friends than anything else. I secretly hope that he picks her. It would be so cool being related to my best friend. And I know that Triton has eyes for her. Who wouldn't? She has pretty red hair and a green tail and is slender and graceful. She's sweet, and is always trying to help people. Me included, I guess. She was the only person that tried to be friends with me. The only person that became friends with me. But back to the story. 

I clutch the book to my chest. “URSULA!!!" my father cries out. Oh, I should probably mention that my mother is dead. I miss her like crazy. She was the only one who really understood me. I swim to the back of the gardens, shoving myself through a little hole in the coral. I can see my father's trident poking over the coral maze walls. Then he's standing over me. I shiver and clutch the book closer to me. My father deepens his glare, “Ursula! Give me that book!" I shake my head. 

“But…" I whisper. 

“No ‘buts'," he says, making water quotations, “Give me the book. You should be with your brother in lunch with your mother-" 

“Mentor," I correct, “Mentor. She's not my mom."

“Ursula, we've been over this. I got married to her. She's your mother," my father huffs. I shake my head. 

“No. She will never be my mom. I already have a mom," I say, shaking as I clutch the book. It's my mother's. He will not get it from me. 

“Ursula, give me the book," he says sternly. He reaches for the book in my hands. 

“No. I'll put it away, but it's mine. Mom said that this is what she wanted me to have. It's mine. Not yours or anyone else's," I say stubbornly. His hand draws away. 

“I didn't realize that. I'm sorry, but you should be in lunch. I made a promise with your mother-" 

“Mentor," I think, “Replacement. Fake."

“-that you would spend time with her. Get to know her a little bit. Don't shake your head at me. She's your mother, Ursula. You'll have to start accepting that." I put on my nicest smile and nod slowly, swimming away as I do so. “Oh, and clean up some before you join them!" my father calls after me. I sigh and roll my eyes. Of course. 

I put my head down as I swim to my room, not wanting to feel the stares of the staff more than I need to. I set the book down in a box before shoving it under a loose floorboard beneath my bed. Then I put on a nice dress, brush my hair, put my crown on, and swim off to the dining hall to join my family. 

When I get there, my brother looks up and smiles, motioning me over to the table. I smile gratefully. My 'mother' smiles a firm smile. “You're late, Ursula," she says. 

“I'm sorry, Mother. I had a bit of homework to do," I lie. It's not a complete lie. She nods slowly. 

“Alright. But make sure you're on time next time," my 'mom' says. I laugh softly as I sit down. 

When we are finally dismissed, I rush to my room and call Athena on my shell-phone. “Hey," I say, “Meet me at the gates. It's time to have a little fun."


	2. The Surface

I pull on an old dress and grab a couple of sandwiches from my stash of food underneath my bed. Smiling to myself, I swim out of the window of my bedroom and down to the front gates. Athena is there, waiting for me. She smiles when she sees me. “Hey, Ursula!" she whispers excitedly. I smile. 

“Hey, Athena! So..." I say. She nods. She knows where I'm going with this. 

“Yep. Let's head there first. Then the ship."

“Ok. Sounds good. I have some stuff to drop off anyway. It's hard to hide things from my parents."

“You're telling me. I swear mine search through my room every day while I'm at school."

As we swim towards our destination, I look through the bag at my hip. “Ok, so I've got some sandwiches and a couple sodas, and some other stuff from that shipwreck we found last week." Athena nods and looks through her bag. 

“Yep, and I've got a few things from the wreck and some dessert," she says, “I think I grabbed shell-cake, but if I didn't, I grabbed starfruit." 

“Yum," we say in unison. We giggle together at our supposed telepathy. We round the corner seconds later. 

“We're here!!!" I exclaim. I roll the stone covering the door away just enough for us to slip through. 

“I can't believe that we found this. It's such a good hideout," Athena says. I nod and grin at our beautiful surroundings. She starts unpacking her treasures and arranging them on the shelves of the cave. I do the same, and then start setting the food up. 

“Almost ready?” I ask. 

“Yep. Let's eat quickly. We don't want to miss the ship. Or the party," Athena says. 

“Wait. What party?" I say. Athena smirks. 

“Why do you think I dragged you here?"

“Um, I invited you," I say. 

“Ok, but I wanted you to go to this party and meet some boys-" Athena pleads. 

“You know I hate parties and boys-" I say, but Athena cuts me off. 

“Can we at least go for a few minutes?" I glare at my best friend and then sigh. 

“Fine," I say. Athena cheers and does a flip. 

“Ok. Come on. Let's hit the ship first and then the party." I nod. 

We swim up to the top of the cave and out of the hole, heading towards the surface. I spot the bottom of the ship and swim towards it, not wanting to miss a second of my precious free time. As I approach the ship, I swim up to a small hole in the deck railing and peek through. A merry group of men dance around on the deck as a dog runs between them, barking happily. And then I spot a young man, seemingly 20 years old, glancing through an object at the far off ocean. 

“You know, Grimsby?" he says. A slightly older man walks over, looking slightly sea sick. 

“He's so sick, he's green in the face,” I think. I giggle softly. 

“What, Your Majesty?" Grimsby replies. 

“Isn't this wonderful? I can't wait for my son to experience this…"

“Your son? Ah, yes, your 'son'," the old man says. He makes quotations when he says “son". I tilt my head. Why would he do that? The man has a son. Or does he…

“The son I hope to have, Grim. I just need to find the right girl," the young man says. The two move away from the deck and I stare after them.

“Hey, you coming?" Athena says. She looks down in the water at some lights far away. 

“Oh. The party?" I ask. She nods, “Just… go without me. I'll catch up with you later."

Athena nods slowly, but doesn't leave. She looks confused, trying to match where my gaze has landed. I look back at her for a moment before glancing back at the young man. He's glancing at the sea, trying to be inconspicuous. I smile. So he doesn't fit in either. 

I hope he finds that girl. I hope that I'll get to see him again. He may never know me, but I know him.

“So are you coming?" Athena asks me. 

“No," I whisper towards the night sky, “I've got better things to do."


	3. Lies and Deception

Sunlight seeps through the curtains and into my eyes as I pry them open. “Agh!" I exclaim, swatting at the spots of light in front of me. I get out of bed and put on a day dress before swimming to the breakfast balcony. Nope. Not kidding. That's what it's called. My father and ‘mother’ break out of their kiss (eww) and look at me. Triton smiles and motions me over to him. I swim over and sit down at my place beside him. 

“Where were you last night?" he whispers, “I tried to come and talk to you, but you were-"

“Good morning, Ursula," my father says warmly. He smiles and passes me a plate of kelp. I gratefully accept and shovel a couple of spoonfuls into my mouth. I don't care what my ‘mother' thinks. She's not even my mom, so she doesn't even matter. I should probably tell you her name. It's Ashley. 

“Good morning, Father," I say between bites. I shoot Triton a look that says ‘I'll talk to you later'. He nods and continues eating. 

“How did you sleep?" Ashley asks me, “You have circles under your eyes."

“Oh. I do? I thought I slept okay," I say. She doesn't need to know what happened last night. 

“Well, that's nothing that the maid can't fix," she says, “but make sure you're ready for tonight."

“What's tonight-" I begin, but I stop myself. I know what's tonight. My father stands up and smiles at all of us (even Ashley). 

“I'm sorry, but I have some business to attend to. I'll see you all later. Oh, and you two-" he says, motioning to me and my brother, “-meet me in my bedroom later. I have a few things for you both." We nod and then watch as he swims out the door. 

“So," Ashley says, “what are you up to today, Triton?" I smile as Triton looks at me nervously. He opens his mouth to make up something, but I cut him off. 

“He's going to be with me. Helping me unpack. I just moved into my new room, you know? I need a little help," I say. I hear Triton sigh softly and he looks at me as if to say, ‘Thanks'. I look back at him. ‘You owe me.' He nods. 

“Oh. Sounds… interesting. You know, if you want help, the maids will be happy to take care of it. That is there job, you know," Ashley says. 

“We know, but-" Triton begins. 

“But we'd rather do it ourselves," I finish, “Get something done while we talk. Catch up a little." Triton nods and smiles at me. Ashley looks skeptical, but her suspicions are gone as my maid, Penelope, swims in the room. She curtsies and then looks at me. 

“Your Majesty, I would like to know where you want the boxes for your room. Or do you want me to unpack them?"

“No, I'll take care of it. Thank you, Penelope. Just put them by my bed," I say. She nods and then swims out of the room. I smile as my brother looks at me. What? I have my ways. 

“I'll leave you to it, then," Ashley says. 

“Ok," I say. I grab a few more pieces of kelp before looking at Triton. 

“We heading out now?" he says. I nod. 

“Yep. Or in a few minutes. I have to talk to the kitchen staff. Tell them to bring our lunch to my room. Unless that's not okay?" I ask, turning to Ashley. She starts to shake her head. 

“Oh, come on. Just this once? We'll be neat!" Triton pleads. She smiles. 

“Ok. You kids have fun," she says. As if nothing happened moments ago. As if she really is my mom. 

Which she's not. If you were wondering.

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to keep the peace. I can feel the water grow sour between us after a bit. It's not much of a change. The water always seems to be clearer when Ashley isn't around. For me, at least. I wish my father had the same opinion. I don't even know what my brother thinks of her, but I know that he isn't amazingly fond of her. Maybe a little, because she replaced our mother. I will never think of her fondly. I miss our mother. She will not be easily replaced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's another chapter!
> 
> It might be a little boring now, but I'm setting up for something really cool (and sad). I hope you're enjoying it!
> 
> :) 
> 
> P.S. It's gonna get a little sad. Sorry


	4. Books and Secrets

I glance over my shoulder, checking the clock again. I shake my head and look back at the box of clothes that I'm trying to color code for my closet. “For the last time, Ursula, we’ll see him later! Whatever he has to give us, it can wait. Besides, you promised we'd finish this first,” Triton says. I sigh before looking at him, silently laughing a little when I see him. He's fin-deep in a box of my books (or what was in the box of books), trying to sort them all into alphabetical order for me. He looks extremely confused, repeating the alphabet over and over just to figure out if the letter “I” comes before the letter “K” (which it does, if you were about to start reciting the alphabet to figure it out). 

“Are you sure that you don't need any help?” I say, “I'm pretty much done here.” I hang the last dress on the rack, taking a step back to admire my work. 

“No… I'm fine…” my brother mumbles. He blushes scarlet, “Hey, do you know if ‘r’ comes before ‘l’?”

“It doesn't,” I reply, “and I'm helping.” I swim over to my brother and grab a handful of books, sorting them quickly in my hands before putting them on the shelf.

“How do you-” my brother begins. He looks completely helpless, seemingly drowning with the thought of having to catch up with me. 

“Um… it's called knowing the alphabet? And I've done this once or twice,” I reply. My brother laughs and rolls his eyes. I shrug, “What? I'm not as stupid as I look, believe it or not.”

“I don't believe you,” Triton says sarcastically.

“And I didn't believe that you were my brother for like the first four years of my life, but here we are,” I reply. Triton laughs. 

“Sure,” he says.

“Yep,” I say triumphantly, “Wouldn't accept it. Not until Mom-” I cut myself off, a sharp cry leaving my lips. I can usually barely choke out my mother’s name, and here I am, about to say it sarcastically in some stupid remark to my brother. I look down, my cheeks turning scarlet in shame.

“Are you okay?” Triton asks me. He looks worried at my sudden pause.

“Maybe I really am an idiot,” I think. 

“Ursula? Do you… do you want to see Dad now?” Triton asks. I shake my head. I promised. And I don't like breaking promises.

“No… I'm fine. I just… let's not talk about it, okay?” I say. Triton nods before turning back to the stack of books behind him. An awkward silence fills the room, and all that I can here is the sliding of books as they are put into place on my bookshelf. Minutes pass until a knock on the door is heard.

“Your Majesties?” someone says from the door. I look up to see a guard standing there. I smile and get up.

“Yes?” Triton and I chorus together. We look at each other and laugh. 

“Your mother wishes to see you,” he says. I look at my brother, concerned. 

“Is she alright?” I ask. 

“I'm not allowed to say anything more, Your Majesty,” the guard replies. I sigh.

“Okay. Take us to her, then,” I say. Triton shrugs as he swims up next to me, “I didn't think that that was a rule. We've always gotten to know the reason for someone summoning us.”

“Must be new. Something Ashley put in place, maybe,” Triton replies, “I agree, though. This hasn't happened before. Especially not with family.”

“Yeah,” I say. My mind jumps before I can stop it.

What if something is wrong with Dad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter for y'all! Hope you're enjoying so far!
> 
> Thanks for the hits that are flooding in almost every day; it's super encouraging to keep writing this! Love you guys and hope you like this chapter!
> 
> It's not that terrible, mostly set up for the next chapter.... but there is a couple of things.... :)


	5. Shock

I knock on the door softly before putting a smile on my face. What? I might as well look nice. Ashley is always telling me to talk less and smile more. That's probably some stupid catch phrase from that reality TV she watches. She says I'm prettier when I smile (As if I'm already pretty. That would be new). Triton gives me a small smile as the door opens. “Oh, you're here!” Ashley says excitedly. I smile again, trying to silence the voice in my head that tells me to strangle her.

“Yep. Is everything okay?” Triton replies. Ashley tilts her head and beckons us through the door.

“Of course. Why wouldn't it be?” she questions. My brother shrugs, looking at me, “Were you concerned about something, Baby-Kittens?” I wince at the pet name and shake my head. 

“Baby-Kittens?” I think, “Really?”

“Alright, then. And no, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to have tea with you. You know, give you a little break from all of that cleaning!” Ashley exclaims. I sigh.

“Oh. Thanks?” I ask, trying to be nice. Triton nods and smiles. His glance tells me that I passed that test. Barely. We swim over to a table in the middle of the room where a bunch of super fancy stuff is laid out. I stare at the tea set for a minute. It looks strangely familiar. I sit down and pick up my teacup, flipping it over. Sure enough, a pair of initials are engraved on the bottom. 

I almost black out.

My eyes squeeze shut but the letters are burned into my mind.

C.E.S.

“No. No no no no no. Not now. Not anytime. I don't want to remember,” I think.

C.E.S. Corella Emeli Sea. My mother.

I open my eyes and look back at the teacup in my hands before looking up. My ‘mother’ is deep in conversation with my brother, who is staring at me out of the corner of his eye. I look away and take the teapot from off of the table, pouring myself a cup. I take a small sip, trying to think about the flavors. Only the flavors. Not what just happened. “So,” Ashley says, “What do you think, Baby-”

“I don't know,” I say, “And please. My name is Ursula.”

“No,” Ashley says quietly, “Ursula, I am your mother. I can call you what I like. I understand that you think you are a young woman, but if you would like to be treated like one, that can be arranged. But you will have to accept all that comes with that.”

“Fine,” I snap, “It's better than being treated like I'm four.”

“Alright, then,” Ashley says, “That means that you and I will be going through your room today and taking out everything childish. I will have a list of new rules printed for you by dinner time.” Triton looks at me in shock. He shakes his head. I know what he's thinking.

“No. Take it back, Ursula. Take it back. You could have a normal life. You could still explore,  
Ursula. Now you have nothing,” is what he's thinking. Is what I'm thinking. 

Because now I don't think that going to my cavern will really be an option.

“Fine. It's not like I care. I only really have one friend,” I say, “You know. Athena? I guess I'll just hang out with her.”

“Okay,” Ashley replies, “Oh, and one more thing. You may no longer see any boys or boyfriends that you may have. Including your brother.”

“WHAT?!” I scream, standing up. The entire contents of the table tumbles off, save the teacup in my hand. Triton and Ashley jump back. I can feel my face growing hot and tears forming in my eyes. I shake my head, blinking furiously.

“Mom, isn't that a little too far-” Triton begins. 

“STAY OUT OF THIS!” I scream, “JUST STAY AWAY!” 

“But-” Triton says. 

“I can't see you anymore anyway,” I whisper. I turn to swim out the door, but a hand on my shoulder stops me. 

“Triton, you can go. As for you, Ursula, we have a lot to discuss,” Ashley says, her voice hard. I look away in shame as my brother heads to the door.

Just then, the alarm bells go off. I look up from the teacups in my hands in shock. “Your Majesties," a guard says, peeking in. It's the same guard from earlier. He's out of breath and looks worried. I look at Triton and he shakes his head. My mother drops her hand from my shoulder. So it's not just me. We all don't know what's going on. 

“What is it?" my ‘mother' says. The guard looks down and swallows hard before looking back at us. He makes eye contact with me. 

“It's the King."

When we leave the room, Ashley doesn't go with us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know! Before you start yelling at me for early updates, just let me explain! I got super inspired and wrote a ton... don't be shocked (haha, I totally didn't try to tie that with the chapter title, but look what I did) if this happens again!
> 
> I'm sorry it's sad and emotional. And if you think this is bad... I'm sorry. It's gonna get worse. A lot worse. :)
> 
> Also, super glad you're enjoying my other fanfic! If you haven't checked it out yet, I hope you do!
> 
> Love you all!


	6. Inheritance

The guard swims behind us, keeping a small, choking distance between himself and us. I glance at my brother again. He's definitely shocked, as his hands are cold in mine. He keeps muttering to himself, “I’m too young to be King, I'm too young to be King…”. I feel bad. But I can't help thinking of myself a little. What? A girl’s gotta do something. 

A million thoughts race through my head. I can't even think straight and I lose track of where we're going. What's going to happen to me? What's Ashley going to do to me? Or Triton? What's going to happen to my father? Is he dying? No… he can't be dying. But then why would the alarm bell go off? It never goes off… We turn corner after corner, swim down hall after hall, windows and doors becoming a blur of reality and fiction. Nothing seems real anymore. Not after the alarm bells. They leave ringing ears and blurry eyes and a broken soul every time. 

The last time I heard them was before my mother died. 

We reach the corridor to the royal apartments in less time than I probably think has passed. In fact, it feels like I just swam for an hour when it was probably only a couple minutes. I'm the first to the doors to my father’s rooms, yanking them open before anyone can tisk at me for having improper manners. For not knocking. For waiting for someone to open them for me so that I wouldn't break a nail or blister my palms. Now is not the time for manners. My father might be… I can barely choke out the word in my head. I don't want to say it. It's not true. It can't be true. Not now. Not now or then or anytime at all.

As soon as the doors are open, I rush to my father’s bedside. Triton is right beside me as we sink down in a bow and curtsy. Father looks at us as we peer down at him. His breathing is shallow and he looks weak and frail. He looks ten times older than he did only minutes ago. 

“What happened?” I ask breathlessly. No one answers me, and I look around, anger obvious in my words, “Well? What happened? Somebody’s gotta know!”

“A heart attack…” the maid from across the room mumbles. 

“What?” I say quietly. 

“A heart attack, Princess,” the maid repeats. I look down at my father. A heart attack. 

“Hello, Triton. Ursula. You came,” my father says. His voice is weak, shaking as he struggles to form each word, “I think now is the time I should give you your presents, don't you think?” I nod and glance at my brother. He nods and looks at the floor.

“Yes, Father,” we chorus softly. 

“Alright. Triton, my son. Come here,” my father says. Triton swims forward as I swim back a bit. I can hear only a few words here and there, not trying to eavesdrop. If I want to know, I'll ask later. My father looks solemnly at my brother, “No, take it, my boy. You will be a great King.”

“But what will become of Ursula?” my brother asks. I gulp. 

“You'll see,” is my father’s only reply. 

“But-” My father bats my brother away and motions me closer. I swim forward and look at my father. 

“My child. My dear, sweet Ursula. I've thought long and hard about this. About what I would do when I-” I cut him off. 

“Don't. Don't you dare. You're not going to die. You hear me? You are not going to die,” I say. He shakes his head, a small smile crossing his lips. 

“Ursula. Listen to me. I've decided… I've decided that your brother isn't ready to rule alone,” he says. 

“What?” I say, “But… Ashley…”

“Ashley is moving away,” he says, “and so I wanted someone else, someone wise, kind, and strong-”

“Well that rules me out,” I think. 

“-that would rule with him. Half of my kingdom for him, and half for the other.”

“But-”

“Ursula. Take my shell. Guard it with your life. It was your mother's, after all,” he says. 

“Oh. Are you sure?” I ask. My father nods. I take the shell from his trembling fingers and clutch it to my chest. 

“And one more thing. Ursula, I am giving the other half of my kingdom to-” My father falls back onto his pillows, and I can feel the life slipping away from him. 

“FATHER!” I scream, “NO, NO, NO!! FATHER!!!!” I try to swim towards him, but the guard holds me back. I wriggle in his grip until I break free, rushing to my father. 

“To you. Ursula, I give the other half of my kingdom to… you…” my father stutters. He looks at me one last time, love filling his eyes. I shake my head in disbelief. He grabs my hand and nods. He then goes limp, collapsing on the bed. 

“FATHER!!!” I scream. The guard drags me out of the room as my brother follows. The doors slam behind us and I whimper softly. 

“This is our life now, Ursula,” Triton says.

“Father…” I whisper. I glance back at the door one last time before I swim away, clutching my father’s shell in my hands, refusing one last time to let the shock sink in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to break your hearts like that. But you have to understand that it may get worse. Like, a lot worse. You all know the story, it's gonna get worse. :)
> 
> Love you all!


	7. Bridges Burned

The silence at my coronation could be cut with a knife into tiny pieces. Of course, since no one really expected this, no one really knows what to do with a nineteen year-old Queen. That is going to rule half of the ocean. And has only been sort of preparing for a few years of her life. That's why the silence presses in around me, forming a tight bubble which I can barely breathe in. I'm not listening to the preacher as he reads off the long script that goes along with this. I don't feel anything when he places the crown on my head except the heavy weight of knowing that I will never be free ever again.

“Do you, Ursula Karina Poseidon, Princess of the Ocean, accept the responsibility of being Queen of the Sea?” the preacher says.

“I do,” I reply.

“Do you, Ursula Karina Poseidon, Princess of the Ocean, promise to fend for our people and keep them safe, lest you lose your power and status?” the preacher says.

“I do,” I reply. He motions for me to stand up and face the crowd. I do, searching the faces for a smile. No one has any expression on their faces, just boredom or confusion.

“Do you, the people of Atlantis, accept your new Queen of the Sea?” the preacher says.

“We do,” they reply. I can sense that they do not want me. They want my brother, who was crowned yesterday, who is standing on the top of the dais observing this, who is sensing their emotions with me, who is the true ruler of Atlantis.

Not me.

But that was days ago. Now, the crown rests on my head permanently, a little row of coral that comes to points to form a crown shape in my raven hair. I sleep in an ornate room in my own palace, have three maids to do everything for me, and eat in a dining room with the longest table ever, glancing at the ballroom that hasn't seen use in years.

Not since my mother died. Not since the new palace was built so that we wouldn't have to swim through the halls remembering. Not since we were told to forget. I never forgot. And now I swim through these halls, remembering. Especially because the bedroom I sleep in is fit for a Queen. A mother. A history that is never meant to be forgotten.

I sit at the desk in my room, writing to my brother. As I finish placing the seal on the back, I summon a messenger. “Please deliver this to Triton. Directly. Do not open it or read the message, lest you wish to lose your job,” I say. The messenger nods fearfully and flees out of the door. I sigh and swim to my balcony.

The city lights glimmer across the ocean, slowly blinking out as more and more people went to sleep in my half of the kingdom, my half of the world. I try to ignore the pressing thought of the stack of papers on my desk of request to move to the other half of the ocean. Because I was unwanted and not what they thought a Queen should be. Obviously. I sweep my gaze across the city and the darkness that is consuming it slowly, pushing away the thoughts of the past and its own sort of darkness that was my only reality for so long.

Suddenly, my vision gets cloudy, like how it does when you hit your funny bone on something and black clouds your eyes. The darkness swims in front of my eyes, completely consuming reality. My thought swim, staying for barely seconds before merging with others. “ _What the heck is happening? Is this another hallucination? Or is this what my mother mentioned in her fits before her death? Does this mean that I’m going to die to? No no no no no…_ ” But even those thoughts stay for moments before being driven away. I clutch the railing of the balcony and blink rapidly, anything to dismiss the darkness. And then, the unthinkable.

A searing pain slices through my hands, making me drop my hands off of the balcony. I scream, my voice echoing into the night as I claw at my own hands. Nothing helps. The pain continues to beat my hands relentlessly, growing worse by the minute. The darkness closes in so tightly and quickly that I don’t even realize that I can’t see until it is too late.

I black out…

When I wake up, the pain has faded. “ _Thank goodness,_ ” I think. But I don’t want to know why they hurt in the first place. I don’t want to know if I left scars. I don’t want to know what has happened without me.

I brush the tears from my face, not looking at my hands, and get up from off of the floor. The sea is a crystal blue and the sun shines high in the sky above, telling me that it is midday. The stack of letters when I open my door is about half as tall as I am, already toppling over onto the floor. I look helplessly at the stack. If I want to pick them up, I’m going to half to use my hands. Which means that first, I’m going to half to analyze the pain. Which means looking at my hands and seeing what truly happened last night. I shut my eyes one last time and then move my hands into a position where I will be able to see them when I open my eyes. And then I do.

That's when I almost scream again.

My hands look normal, save the slightly purplish coloring that they have taken on. It’s pale purple, almost unnoticeable, except for the fact that it cuts off in a perfect line at my wrist. Where, ironically, it becomes darker, like the color of my tail. “Great,” I mutter, “Gloves it is.” Which doesn’t sound too bad, actually. Except for the fact that I loathe gloves and the way that they make my hands sweaty and cold and itchy and uncomfortable. Sounds amazing, right? Yeah… no.

I open my closet and pull out the box in the very back. I brush off the seashells that have congregated on the lid and open it. Inside is a pair of silken gloves, black with purple embroidering in the shape of a shell in the palm of each hand. I only wore them once, to my father’s funeral, and then immediately put them in this box. Now, it seemed, my time of mourning would begin again. Except this time, it would be for the loss of my hands. What a first-world problem.

I slip on the gloves and then pick up the stack of papers at my door. I know that if I put these off, there will be ten times more tomorrow. So I go through the entire stack, my hands burning ever so slightly by the brush of the paper. I zone out as I work, writing brief replies to some notes and tossing others. It’s the note at the very bottom of the pile that gets my attention.

_Your Royal Highness, Queen Ursula Karina Poseidon of the West Sea,_

_I would like to bring to your attention an issues that has been seemingly floating under your radar for the past few days. Ever since your father’s death, I fear that rebellion may have been forming. Especially in your kingdom. In your brother’s, not so much. I fear for you though. Please write back. I wish the best for you._

_Sincerely,  
Her Royal Highness, Athena Lyelle Reef, Queen of the East Sea_

“Athena!” I breathe, joy filling my voice. I reread the note, touching the pen strokes that my friend so thoughtfully made to be. Then confusion clouds my face, “Queen of the East Sea. Queen of the… but my brother… oh my gosh…” I close my eyes, and an image of my best friend in a wedding gown and veil floods my mind. The picture is beautiful. I wish that I could have seen her in real life. But then again, I was not invited. It takes all of my willpower not to start crying. But in seconds, the wish to cry fades. Two questions replace it, squeezing their way to the front of my thoughts.

Is Athena burning the bridge of our friendship? Or am I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know, I know, I kinda just dropped a bomb on you.... sorry....
> 
> But anyway, thank you for all of the support so far! I am writing another fanfic for the Hamilton fandom, if you wanna check it out. 
> 
> Love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> This is my first fanfic. I felt super inspired to write something "The Little Mermaid" related, so.... here it is! I hope you guys enjoy (and that I don't break to many hearts). There is some emotional stuff coming, so if that's not your cup of tea, this isn't for you.
> 
> Also, a big thank you to ChipperSpirit and 1CrazyAries for inspiring me and supporting me with this! If you want to check them out, ChipperSpirit is writing a Hamilton fanfic on her page, which is super cool (I recommend).
> 
> Thanks, and enjoy!


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